Parks and gardens in and near Coral Gables: Fairchild, Matheson Hammock and City parks

Two green spaces sit next to each other on Old Cutler Road: Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, a private garden, and Matheson Hammock Park, run by Miami-Dade County. Inside the city are smaller City parks and a large public tree canopy. This page gives each one’s hours, prices, parking and rules as the operator publishes them, checked October 20, 2026.

A note on place names: Fairchild gives a Miami mailing address, and none of the pages we read says whether it sits inside Coral Gables city limits, so we say “on Old Cutler Road” rather than “in Coral Gables”.

• Fairchild's own address is "10901 Old Cutler Road, Miami, Florida 33156" (a Miami mailing address), and we found no page that says whether the garden is inside Coral Gables city limits. So we describe it as on Old Cutler Road, next to Matheson Hammock. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden: Hours & Admission

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Fairchild is at 10901 Old Cutler Road, Miami, Florida 33156. Its history page says that in 1938 the garden “opened its 83 acres to the public,” and that its founder, Col. Robert H. Montgomery, named it for the plant explorer David Fairchild (1869 to 1954).

• Fairchild gives its address as 10901 Old Cutler Road, Miami, Florida 33156. Its history page says that "in 1938, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden opened its 83 acres to the public"; founder Col. Robert H. Montgomery named it for plant explorer David Fairchild (1869-1954). Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden: Mission & History; Hours & Admission

Fairchild hours

Fairchild says it is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Members get early entry each Tuesday at 7:00 a.m. through the South Entrance Gate. The hours page lists no holiday closures, and we could not confirm any, so check before a holiday visit.

• Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden: "Open Daily: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m." Members get early entry "each Tuesday at 7:00 a.m." at the South Entrance Gate (Visit page). Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden: Hours & Admission
• Fairchild's Hours & Admission page says "Open Daily" and lists no holiday closures; holiday closures were not confirmed. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden: Hours & Admission

Fairchild admission

Same-day ticket	Weekday online	Weekday in person	Weekend online	Weekend in person
Adult	$24.95	$29.95	$27.95	$32.95
Child, 3 to 11	$11.95	$15.95	$14.95	$18.95
Senior	$17.95	$22.95	$20.95	$25.95
Children 0 to 2, members	Free	Free	Free	Free

Buying online or at the garden’s kiosks saves $5 per ticket, Fairchild says, and parking is free for all visitors (Fairchild hours and admission).

• Fairchild general admission (same-day): Adult $24.95 weekday online, $29.95 weekday in person, $27.95 weekend online, $32.95 weekend in person; Child 3-11 $11.95 / $15.95 / $14.95 / $18.95; Senior $17.95 / $22.95 / $20.95 / $25.95; children 0-2 and members free. Buying online or at the kiosks saves "$5 per ticket." Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden: Hours & Admission
• Fairchild: "Parking is free for all visitors." Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden: Hours & Admission

Fairchild discounts

• Military: active military and veterans get in free all year.
• Eco-Discount: $5 off for adults and $2 off for children if you walk, bike or take public transportation.
• Miami-Dade seniors: free on the first Wednesday of each month for county seniors 62 and over with a Golden Ticket.
• Fairchild says these discounts are available for in-person purchase only.

• Fairchild offers active military and veterans free admission year-round; an Eco-Discount of "$5 off the admission price for adults and $2 off the admission price for children" if you walk, bike or take public transportation; and free admission on "the first Wednesday of each month" for Miami-Dade County seniors 62+ with a Golden Ticket. Discounts are "available for in-person purchase only." Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden: Hours & Admission

Fairchild dates this season

• Holiday season, with Santa visits and storytime with Mrs. Claus: November 13 to December 24, 2026, per Fairchild’s events list. Daily times are not listed.
• South Florida Palm Society Show & Sale: Saturday and Sunday, November 28 and 29, 2026. Hours are not listed.
• NightGarden: Fairchild’s page says “Select Evenings, November 7 to January 11” with no year and no list of evenings. It may be last season’s page, so treat it as unconfirmed.
• Chocolate and orchid festivals: the festival pages still show 2026 dates. No 2027 dates were posted when we checked.

• Fairchild's NightGarden page says "Select Evenings | November 7 – January 11" with no year and no list of evenings, and it may be last season's page. This guide does not list NightGarden dates until Fairchild confirms them. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden: NightGarden
• Fairchild's Chocolate Festival (January 24-25, 2026), Orchid Festival (March 14-15, 2026), Valentine's (February 14, 2026) and Sounds of Carnival (February 28, no year) pages still show 2026 or undated details. No 2027 dates posted. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden: event pages

Matheson Hammock Park

Miami-Dade County says “Matheson Hammock Park is Miami-Dade County’s first park,” and that it is home to the County’s second-largest County-operated marina, with about 330 boat slips and 11 boat-launch ramp lanes. Leave the dog at home: “Pets are not allowed in Matheson.”

• Miami-Dade County: "Matheson Hammock Park is Miami-Dade County's first park and is home to the County's second-largest County-operated marina", with about 330 vessel slips and 11 boat-launch ramp lanes. "Pets are not allowed in Matheson." Miami-Dade County Parks: Matheson Hammock Park

Matheson Hammock fees

Vehicle	Weekdays	Weekends and holidays
Car	$7 plus tax	$10 plus tax
Bus or RV	$15 plus tax each day	$15 plus tax each day

The County says you can pay through the Pay-By-Phone or Park Mobile app, or in person at the park office. The City of Coral Gables’ own Matheson listing still shows older, lower fees ($5 and $7); the figures above are the County’s, from its Matheson Hammock page, because the County runs the park.

• Miami-Dade County Parks lists Matheson Hammock car parking at "$7 plus tax on weekdays and $10 plus tax on weekends and holidays", payable "through the Pay-By-Phone or Park Mobile application, or in person in the park office." Bus/RV: "$15 plus tax each day." Miami-Dade County Parks: Matheson Hammock Park
• The City's Matheson Hammock listing gives car entry as "$5 on weekdays and $7 on weekends and holidays" and boat trailer $13/$17; Miami-Dade County (the operator) lists $7 plus tax weekdays and $10 plus tax weekends/holidays, trailer $20/$30 plus tax. This guide uses the County's figures, since the County runs the park. City of Coral Gables: Matheson Hammock Park & Marina listing

The atoll pool

The atoll pool is a lagoon the County says “is open seven days a week.” Lifeguards are on duty on weekends and holidays only, not every day.

Season	Monday to Friday	Saturday and Sunday
Summer	9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.	9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Winter	9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.	9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The County does not say on which dates the summer and winter hours change. The boat ramp is open sunrise to sunset.

• Miami-Dade County: the atoll pool lagoon "is open seven days a week", with lifeguards on weekends and holidays. Summer hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturday-Sunday 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Winter hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday-Sunday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The boat ramp is "Open sunrise to sunset." Miami-Dade County Parks: Matheson Hammock Park

Park hours, rules and the restaurant

The County page we read gives no gate hours for the park as a whole, only office hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, the atoll pool hours and the boat ramp. The City’s listing shows 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, which matches the office hours, not necessarily the gate.

• Miami-Dade County's park page gives office hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, seasonal atoll pool hours and a sunrise-to-sunset boat ramp, but no general gate hours. The City listing shows "8:00 am-5:00 pm" daily, which matches the County office hours, not necessarily the gate. The County does not give its summer and winter switch dates. Miami-Dade County Parks: Matheson Hammock Park

• No tents, barbecue grills or open flames in the beach area.
• No flotation devices on the beaches.
• The restaurant in the historic coral rock building, Noma Beach at Red Fish, is listed by the County as open Wednesday through Sunday (305-668-8788).

• Miami-Dade County: tents, barbecue grills and open flames are not allowed in the Matheson beach area, and flotation devices are not allowed on beaches. The restaurant in the historic coral rock building, Noma Beach at Red Fish, is listed as open Wednesday through Sunday (305-668-8788). Miami-Dade County Parks: Matheson Hammock Park

Fairchild or Matheson?

	Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden	Matheson Hammock Park
Run by	Fairchild (private garden)	Miami-Dade County Parks
Hours	Daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.	Office 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; gate hours not published
Entry	Adults $24.95 to $32.95	Per car: $7 plus tax weekdays, $10 plus tax weekends
Parking	Free	The car fee is the parking fee
Swimming	Not listed	Atoll pool; lifeguards weekends and holidays
Pets	Not stated on the page we read	Not allowed

The swim-spot matcher on our Venetian Pool page compares the atoll pool with the Venetian Pool.

City parks and trees in Coral Gables

The City’s Greenspace Management Division says its staff and contractors “maintain over 40,000 trees in public right of way, and 380 green spaces in parks, road medians, and right of way areas.” A City press release dated August 19, 2026 gives newer figures: a digital inventory “identified nearly 39,000 trees” in the public rights-of-way and measured citywide tree canopy at 58%, counting trees on public and private land. It adds that Miami-Dade County is working toward 30% countywide coverage by 2030, and that Coral Gables has been a Tree City USA community since 1985. An older, undated City page gives 41%; we use the dated 2026 figures.

• City Greenspace Management Division: staff and contractors "maintain over 40,000 trees in public right of way, and 380 green spaces in parks, road medians, and right of way areas", and the division handles "tree removal and mitigation permits for private and public property." City of Coral Gables: Greenspace Management
• City press release, August 19, 2026: a digital tree inventory "identified nearly 39,000 trees within the city's public rights-of-way" and measured "total citywide tree canopy coverage at 58%, including trees on both public and private property." It adds that Miami-Dade County "is working toward a countywide goal of 30% coverage by 2030." City of Coral Gables: Tree Canopy Ranking (press release)
• City press release (August 19, 2026): "Coral Gables has been designated a Tree City USA community since 1985." City of Coral Gables: Tree Canopy Ranking (press release)
• City Sustainability page says the city "Maintains an extensive tree canopy with over 41% tree coverage"; the August 19, 2026 press release says 58% citywide canopy. Greenspace page says "over 40,000 trees in public right of way"; the press release says "nearly 39,000". This guide uses the dated 2026 press release figures. City of Coral Gables: Sustainability

The City publishes no count of its banyans and names no single tree, so we do not either.

City parks with dates and facts

• Merrick Park, in front of City Hall at 405 Biltmore Way. The City’s Farmers Market ran here on Saturdays from January 17 to March 28, 2026, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. No 2027 season was posted when we checked. (The City’s page title says “Merrick Park”; this is not the Shops at Merrick Park mall.)
• Ponce Circle Park. Carnaval Miami’s Art in the Park, free, on Friday, November 13, 2026, from 7 to 11 p.m., per the event page. The organizer’s home page banner says November 16, so check before you go.
• Salvadore Park. The City’s Venetian Pool FAQ names it as overflow parking for the pool, less than half a mile away.

• The City described its last farmers market season this way: "The Coral Gables Farmers Market, located in front of City Hall at 405 Biltmore Way, returns on Saturday, January 17, and will run until March 28, 2026." The event overview lists "8:00 AM – 2:00 PM". No 2027 season was posted when checked. City of Coral Gables: Farmers Market at Merrick Park
• The 2027 Coral Gables Farmers Market season is not posted. The City's page still shows the January 17 to March 28, 2026 season. Third-party event listings mention a Sunday market or a "January 2027 TBA" date; none come from the City. Until the City posts them, we give no 2027 market dates. City of Coral Gables: Farmers Market at Merrick Park
• Carnaval Miami gives two dates for the November Art in the Park at Ponce Circle Park: the event page says "Friday, November 13, 2026"; the home page banner says "NOVEMBER 16, 2026" (a Monday). This guide uses November 13; confirm with the organiser. Carnaval Miami: home page

Planning to cut a tree on your own lot? The City requires a permit; see living in Coral Gables. For more outings, see things to do and the events page.

Parks and gardens FAQ

Dates, rules and hours can change. The organisers have the final word: City of Coral Gables (official site)